平凡文学

第5章 The Old Man and the Big Fish（第1页）

Hischoicehadbeentostayinthedeepdarkwaterfaroutbeyondallsnaresandtrapsandtreacheries.Mychoicewastogotheretofindhimbeyondallpeople.Beyondallpeopleintheworld.Nowwearejoinedtogetherandhavebeensincenoon.Andnoonetohelpeitheroneofus.

PerhapsIshouldnothavebeenafisherman，hethought.ButthatwasthethingthatIwasbornfor.Imustsurelyremembertoeatthetunaafteritgetslight.

SometimebeforedaylightsomethingtookoneofthebaitsthatwerebehindhiHeheardthestickbreakandthelinebegintorushoutoverthegunwaleoftheskiff.Inthedarknessheloosenedhissheathknifeandtakingallthestrainofthefishonhisleftshoulderheleanedbackandcutthelineagainstthewoodofthegunwale.Thenhecuttheotherlineclosesttohimandinthedarkmadethelooseendsofthereservecoilsfast.Heworkedskillfullywiththeonehandandputhisfootonthecoilstoholdthemashedrewhisknotstight.Nowhehadsixreservecoilsofline.Thereweretwofromeachbaithehadseveredandthetwofromthebaitthefishhadtakenandtheywereallconnected.

Afteritislight，hethought，Iwillworkbacktotheforty-fathombaitandcutitawaytooandlinkupthereservecoils.IwillhavelosttwohundredfathomsofgoodCatalancordelandthehooksandleaders.Thatcanbereplaced.ButwhoreplacesthisfishifIhooksomefishanditcutshimoff?Idontknowwhatthatfishwasthattookthebaitjustnow.Itcouldhavebeenamarlinorabroadbillorashark.IneverfelthiIhadtogetridofhimtoofast.

Aloudhesaid“，IwishIhadtheboy.”

Butyouhaventgottheboy，hethought.Youhaveonlyyourselfandyouhadbetterworkbacktothelastlinenow，inthedarkornotinthedark，andcutitawayandhookupthetworeservecoils.

Sohedidit.Itwasdifficultinthedarkandoncethefishmadeasurgethatpulledhimdownonhisfaceandmadeacutbelowhiseye.Thebloodrandownhischeekalittleway.Butitcoagulatedanddriedbeforeitreachedhischinandheworkedhiswaybacktothebowandrestedagainstthewood.Headjustedthesackandcarefullyworkedthelinesothatitcameacrossanewpartofhisshouldersand，holdingitanchoredwithhisshoulders，hecarefullyfeltthepullofthefishandthenfeltwithhishandtheprogressoftheskiffthroughthewater.

Iwonderwhathemadethatlurchfor，hethought.Thewiremusthaveslippedonthehillofhisback.Certainlyhisbackcannotfeelasbadlyasminedoes.Buthecannotpullthisskiffforever，nomatterhowgreatheis.NoweverythingisclearedawaythatmightmaketroubleandIhaveabigreserveofline;allthatamancanask.

“Fish，”hesaidsoftly，aloud，“IllstaywithyouuntilIamdead.”

Hellstaywithmetoo，Isuppose，theoldmanthoughtandhewaitedforittobelight.ItwascoldnowinthetimebeforedaylightandhepushedagainstthewoodtobewarIcandoitaslongashecan，hethought.Andinthefirstlightthelineextendedoutanddownintothewater.Theboatmovedsteadilyandwhenthefirstedgeofthesunroseitwasontheoldmansrightshoulder.

“Hesheadednorth，”theoldmansaid.Thecurrentwillhavesetusfartotheeastward，hethought.Iwishhewouldturnwiththecurrent.Thatwouldshowthathewastiring.

Whenthesunhadrisenfurthertheoldmanrealizedthatthefishwasnottiring.Therewasonlyonefavorablesign.Theslantofthelineshowedhewasswimmingatalesserdepth.Thatdidnotnecessarilymeanthathewouldjump.Buthemight.“Godlethimjump，”theoldmansaid.“Ihaveenoughlinetohandlehi”

MaybeifIcanincreasethetensionjustalittleitwillhurthimandhewilljump，hethought.Nowthatitisdaylightlethimjumpsothathellfillthesacksalonghisbackbonewithairandthenhecannotgodeeptodie.

Hetriedtoincreasethetension，butthelinehadbeentautuptotheveryedgeofthebreakingpointsincehehadhookedthefishandhefelttheharshnessasheleanedbacktopullandknewhecouldputnomorestrainonit.Imustnotjerkitever，hethought.Eachjerkwidensthecutthehookmakesandthenwhenhedoesjumphemightthrowit.AnywayIfeelbetterwiththesunandforonceIdonothavetolookintoit.

Therewasyellowweedonthelinebuttheoldmanknewthatonlymadeanaddeddragandhewaspleased.ItwastheyellowGulfweedthathadmadesomuchphosphorescenceinthenight.

“Fish，”hesaid，“Iloveyouandrespectyouverymuch.ButIwillkillyoudeadbeforethisdayends.”

Letushopeso，hethought.

Asmallbirdcametowardtheskifffromthenorth.Hewasawarblerandflyingverylowoverthewater.Theoldmancouldseethathewasverytired.

Thebirdmadethesternoftheboatandrestedthere.Thenheflewaroundtheoldmansheadandrestedonthelinewherehewasmorecomfortable.

“Howoldareyou?”theoldmanaskedthebird.“Isthisyourfirsttrip?”

Thebirdlookedathimwhenhespoke.Hewastootiredeventoexaminethelineandheteeteredonitashisdelicatefeetgrippeditfast.

“Itssteady，”theoldmantoldhi“Itstoosteady.Youshouldntbethattiredafterawindlessnight.Whatarebirdscomingto?”

Thehawks，hethought，thatcomeouttoseatomeettheButhesaidnothingofthistothebirdwhocouldnotunderstandhimanywayandwhowouldlearnaboutthehawkssoonenough.

“Takeagoodrest，smallbird，”hesaid.“Thengoinandtakeyourchancelikeanymanorbirdorfish.”

Itencouragedhimtotalkbecausehisbackhadstiffenedinthenightandithurttrulynow.

“Stayatmyhouseifyoulike，bird，”hesaid.“IamsorryIcannothoistthesailandtakeyouinwiththesmallbreezethatisrising.ButIamwithafriend.”

Justthenthefishgaveasuddenlurchthatpulledtheoldmandownontothebowandwouldhavepulledhimoverboardifhehadnotbracedhimselfandgivensomeline.

Thebirdhadflownupwhenthelinejerkedandtheoldmanhadnotevenseenhimgo.Hefeltthelinecarefullywithhisrighthandandnoticedhishandwasbleeding.

“Somethinghurthimthen，”hesaidaloudandpulledbackonthelinetoseeifhecouldturnthefish.Butwhenhewastouchingthebreakingpointheheldsteadyandsettledbackagainstthestrainoftheline.

“Yourefeelingitnow，fish，”hesaid.“Andso，Godknows，amI.”

Helookedaroundforthebirdnowbecausehewouldhavelikedhimforcompany.Thebirdwasgone.

Youdidnotstaylong，themanthought.Butitisrougherwhereyouaregoinguntilyoumaketheshore.HowdidIletthefishcutmewiththatonequickpullhemade?Imustbegettingverystupid.OrperhapsIwaslookingatthesmallbirdandthinkingofhiNowIwillpayattentiontomyworkandthenImusteatthetunasothatIwillnothaveafailureofstrength.

“IwishtheboywerehereandthatIhadsomesalt，”hesaidaloud.

Shiftingtheweightofthelinetohisleftshoulderandkneelingcarefullyhewashedhishandintheoceanandhelditthere，submerged，formorethanaminutewatchingthebloodtrailawayandthesteadymovementofthewateragainsthishandastheboatmoved.

“Hehasslowedmuch，”hesaid.

Theoldmanwouldhavelikedtokeephishandinthesaltwaterlongerbuthewasafraidofanothersuddenlurchbythefishandhestoodupandbracedhimselfandheldhishandupagainstthesun.Itwasonlyalineburnthathadcuthisflesh.Butitwasintheworkingpartofhishand.Heknewhewouldneedhishandsbeforethiswasoverandhedidnotliketobecutbeforeitstarted.

“Now，”hesaid，whenhishandhaddried，“Imusteatthesmalltuna.Icanreachhimwiththegaffandeathimhereincomfort.”

Hekneltdownandfoundthetunaunderthesternwiththegaffanddrewittowardhimkeepingitclearofthecoiledlines.Holdingthelinewithhisleftshoulderagain，andbracingonhislefthandandarm，hetookthetunaoffthegaffhookandputthegaffbackinplace.Heputonekneeonthefishandcutstripsofdarkredmeatlongitudinallyfromthebackoftheheadtothetail.Theywerewedge-shapedstripsandhecutthemfromnexttothebackbonedowntotheedgeofthebelly.Whenhehadcutsixstripshespreadthemoutonthewoodofthebow，wipedhisknifeonhistrousers，andliftedthecarcassofthebonitobythetailanddroppeditoverboard.

“IdontthinkIcaneatanentireone，”hesaidanddrewhisknifeacrossoneofthestrips.Hecouldfeelthesteadyhardpullofthelineandhislefthandwascramped.Itdrewuptightontheheavycordandhelookedatitindisgust.

“Whatkindofahandisthat，”hesaid.“Crampthenifyouwant.Makeyourselfintoaclaw.Itwilldoyounogood.”Comeon，hethoughtandlookeddownintothedarkwaterattheslantoftheline.Eatitnowanditwillstrengthenthehand.Itisnotthehandsfaultandyouhavebeenmanyhourswiththefish.Butyoucanstaywithhimforever.Eatthebonitonow.

Hepickedupapieceandputitinhismouthandcheweditslowly.Itwasnotunpleasant.

Chewitwell，hethought，andgetallthejuices.Itwouldnotbebadtoeatwithalittlelimeorwithlemonorwithsalt.“Howdoyoufeel，hand?”heaskedthecrampedhandthatwasalmostasstiffasrigormortis.“Illeatsomemoreforyou.”

请勿开启浏览器阅读模式，否则将导致章节内容缺失及无法阅读下一章。

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